How to stop Windows 10 from downloading automatically

In order to make it easier for users to upgrade their current version of Windows OS to Windows 10, Microsoft has made it possible to automatically download Windows automatically. This makes upgrading to Windows 10 that much easier and faster. However, not everyone wants to switch to the newer OS and Microsoft’s effort to shove windows 10 down your throat could be considered extremely annoying by many. If you are such a an user it may be frustrating when you start receiving pop-up messages every now and then, that tell you the update is ready to be installed. In fact, often your current OS might go as far as to automatically download the files necessary for the upgrade. The problem with that is those files take some space on the hard drive and may also cost you money if your internet bandwidth is limited. All in all, for people who are not looking forward to switching to Win 10 finding a way to stop windows 10 from automatically downloading is a must. Considering that Windows is capable of updating to 10 without your permission it is very important to prevent the files required for the update to end up in your HDD. Lets see how to do that.

How to stop Windows 10 from downloading automatically by using a specialized tool

In our case, we’ve been using GWX Control Panel – a neat, trusty utility that is specifically designed to deal with the automatic downloading of Win 10 upgrade files. It’s easy to obtain and operate. Just download (it’s a free software) and open it.

Once you have done so, all you need to do is click on Click to Delete Windows 10 Download Folders and on Click to Delete Windows 10 Programs. In my case these are grayed-out, since I don’t have any Win 10 files/folder on my PC.

If you want to prevent any future downloads of Windows 10 upgrade files, you can also use the buttons Click to Prevent ‘Get Windows 10’ App and Click to prevent Windows 10 Upgrades in GWX Control Panel.

In most cases, this program should be able to fix any problems concerning unwanted downloads of Win 10 files. If, for whatever reason, you don’t want to or cannot download the utility tool, there are other ways for dealing with the unwanted update downloads.

How to stop Windows 10 from downloading automatically by using a specific Microsoft patch

This method works for Win 7 and 8.1 but not for 8, so keep that in mind. Besides, it is not 100% certain that installing the patch will stop any Win 10 upgrade files downloading onto your PC. Theoretically, this is what it does, but we cannot guarantee it.

Firstly, you’ll need to download the specific patch (R2: July 2015) for your specific version of Windows from the Microsoft website. Then you must install it, following the instructions from the developer’s site.

Secondly, open your Registry Editor by using the Winkey + R combination. Then type regedit in the search box and hit Enter.

You may need to create the WindowsUpdate Key. This is done by right-clicking on the Windows folder and then choosing Key from the menu New. Name that new key WindowsUpdate.

After that, click on it and create a new 32-bit DWORD named DisableOSUpgrade, giving it value of 1.

How to stop Windows 10 from downloading automatically by disabling automatic updates

This is easier to do compared to our previous suggestion, but remember that it is not advisable to disable your automatic updates, since this may leave your PC vulnerable to online threats. The reason for that is Windows will not only stop downloading any Win 10 upgrade files, but will also cease to look for Win 7 updates, which are essential for your system’s security. Do this, only if you are going to constantly manually check for new updates, that your system may need. In order to disable your automatic updates, you will have to go to your Control Panel.

Open System and Security and click on Turn automatic updating on or off.

From there, you can adjust the updating settings to your liking. We recommend to go for Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them.

That way you will still be notified about the latest updates, but will be able to choose which of them you really need.

And there you have it, three different ways to prevent your OS from downloading any upgrade files for Windows 10. Did we help you solve your problem? Do you have any remarks to make concerning our article? If so, feel free to share in our comment section below.